Combined spring mount and sectioned cage construction

Abstract

An improved roller retention cage for a one way clutch includes at least two adjoinable sections with abuttable flanges thereon. An energizing spring has a tail portion which is formed so as to be snap fitted around the abutted flanges, thereby structurally joining the cage sections together. This also serves to mount the energizing spring in the proper orientation to bias a lock up roller when it is retained in the cage. A cage having just two end sections so adjoined, as well as a cage made up of a plurality of sections so adjoined, are disclosed.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows: 
     
       1. An improved cage for retaining the lock up elements of a one way clutch or the like, said cage having a connecting means to both structurally join together adjoinable parts of the cage and to mount to the cage an energizing spring biasing one of the lock up elements, said connecting means comprising; at least two structural elements, one provided on each adjoinable cage part, and adapted to be in abutting relation to each other when the cage parts are adjoined, said structural elements when in abutting relation, being spaced a predetermined distance from said lock up element,   and an energizing spring with a tail portion having a length sufficient to interconnect said structural elements in sufficiently tight abutting relation with each other to thereby structurally join the adjoinable cage parts together, as well as to thereby mount said energizing spring to the cage, said energizing spring having a bias portion extending from said tail portion substantially said predetermined distance toward said lock up element to bias said lock up element when said lock up element is retained in said cage.   
     
     
       2. An improved cage for retaining the lock up elements of a one way clutch or the like, said cage having a connecting means to both structurally join together adjoinable parts of the cage and to mount to the cage an energizing spring biasing one of the lock up elements, said connecting means comprising; at least two structural elements, one provided on each adjoinable cage part, and adapted to be in abutting relation to each other when the cage parts are adjoined, said structural elements, when in abutting relation, being spaced a predetermined distance from said lock up element,   and an energizing spring with a tail portion having a length sufficient to allow it to be formed around said structural elements so as to interconnect them in sufficiently tight abutting relation with each other to thereby structurally join the adjoinable cage parts together, as well as to thereby mount said energizing spring to the cage, said energizing spring having a bias portion extending from said tail portion substantially said predetermined distance toward said lock up element to bias said lock up element when said lock up element is retained in said cage.   
     
     
       3. An improved cage for retaining the lock up elements of a one way clutch or the like, said cage having a connecting means to both structurally join together adjoinable parts of the cage and to mount to the cage an energizing spring biasing one of the lock up elements, said connecting means comprising; at least two flanges, one provided on each adjoinable cage part, and each extending generally radially of the cage so as to be in abutting relation to each other when the cage parts are adjoined, said flanges, when in abutting relation, being spaced a predetermined distance from said lock up element,   and an energizing spring with a tail portion having a length sufficient to allow it to be formed so as to be fitted around the abutted flanges to maintain them in sufficiently tight abutting relation with each other to thereby structurally join the adjoinable cage parts together, as well as to thereby mount said energizing spring to the cage, said energizing spring having a bias portion extending from said tail portion substantially said predetermined distance toward said lock up element to bias said lock up element when said lock up element is retained in said cage.